Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.
-C. S. Lewis, English essayist & juvenile novelist (1898 - 1963)

I think that's a beautiful painting. I believe that we reincarnate until we've learned and experienced all we need to then we go on to our rewards. In between we take stock and rest up for the next round.

Reincarnation is much more logical than the one-life/heaven or hell philosophy.
Each life is a learning experience. When we die we go to the afterlife, which is called the Bardo in Buddhism. It is similar to heaven or hell or in between, but is temporary. Then we are born again into the next life. We evolve gradually as we learn the lessons in each life, so we will be human again in the next one. Lower forms of life evolve over many litetimes into higher ones. Finally, when all the lessons have been learned, we no longer need a physical body, so we can move on permanently.
I have witnessed many past life regressions under hypnosis, and observed that our past lives influence this life. A child who can play the violin at age four may have been a musician in a past life. A person who has a passion for a certain foreign country or culture may have been there last time around.
The only proof I know of is hypnotic regression and anecdotal evidence over thousands of years by practitioners of meditation and eastern philosophy.
It explains why children are born geniuses or with illnesses or have short lives. This is because of karma from a previous life. They may have done something last time or need to learn a certain lesson this time.
It also helps us to understand that nothing is permanent, even death. We live again.
The Bible was changed and christianity was adjusted to remove reference to reincarnation, by the council of Nicea in 500 AD. The church wanted to hold power over its members. We are all born again, many times. Many other religions accept reincarnation as fact.

Reincarnation may very well be a reality, at least in some respect. But another possible explanation for the many documented cases of past life memory is the idea that the brain does not generate consciousness, but rather functions as a sort of filter/modulator of consciousness...with the "signals" actually coming through the DNA coding. So it could be that some people are picking up and decoding past signals that were on the same or similar frequency as their own.

Wow, WHAT HAPPENED?!!? I tried to back up my cursor while typing the above post(s) and the site locked up and went all ape sh#$ on me and then double posted my response. Huh, maybe there is something to this karma thing after all!

I mean, life is tough. It takes up a lot of your time and what do you get at the end of it? Death! I mean, what’s that, a bonus? I think the life cycle is all backwards: You should die first, get it out of the way. Then you move to an old age home. You get kicked out when you’re too young, you get a gold watch and then you go to work. You work forty years until you’re young enough to enjoy your retirement. You have fun, you party plenty, and then you get ready for senior high school. You go to grade school, you become a kid, you play, you have no responsibilities. Then you become a little baby, you go back into the womb, you spend your last nine months floating … and you finish off as an orgasm. -George Carlin.

Reincarnation may very well be a reality, at least in some respect. But another possible explanation for the many documented cases of past life memory is the idea that the brain does not generate consciousness, but rather functions as a sort of filter/modulator of consciousness...with the "signals" actually coming through the DNA coding. So it could be that some people are picking up and decoding past signals that were on the same or similar frequency as their own.

There is a song or an awesome story in there.. We all are our own filter of a collective consciousness.

Jason

"The cosmos is also within us. We're made of star-stuff. We are a way for the cosmos to know itself." - Carl Sagan

I don't follow a religion. I simply live my life. I don't think it should matter if you pray to god, allah(which literally translates to god), budda or any other deity. Most if not all religions say that everyone else is wrong. I don't believe it is anyones place to say that anothers religion is "wrong". If everyone says that everyone else is wrong, whos to say whos right? I believe the path walked isn't what matters, it's the destination. And that is all I'll say in this matter.

As long as I got a pipe full of baccy and a nose full of snuff, I'm a happy camper
Cigarettes are an addiction, cigars are a hobby, pipes are a religion

I've always preferred a multiple-choice answer to the question of what happens after we die... On an objective level, one could argue that we do, in fact, reincarnate as our body decays into its component atoms and gets incorporated into various plants and animals, which in turn live out their lives and then provide nutrients for another generation.

As for anything metaphysical, it pretty much comes down to what one wishes to believe or have faith in, whether it's "one shot and you're done", or a continuing cycle. I figure if your belief brings you comfort and doesn't harm anyone else in its application, believe as you like.

Teddy is very knowledgeable about this with his regression therapy experience. And he is correct on the church removing all references in the 4th Century...it's very well documented. The church thought it was better for everyone to believe that they had to come to the church and give tithings and receive penance prayers to reverse the consequences of their sins...instead of coming back again for reverse karma.

Those who are not familiar with past life regression should read up on it before they criticize or denounce it. As the old famous quote says, " Rejecting knowlege is the highest form of ignorance"

Kinda hard to explain how people are video and audio recorded under hypnosis and taken back to previous lives where they are able to speak 1st Century Aramaic or further back to a language spoken in Ancient Egypt and describing the persons participation in building of the Pyramids (translated by language professors), which has happened before. That's why it is usually always video taped. I just found out about past life regression therapy two years ago and have read many books on it...before that I dismissed it due to my religious brainwashing I received as a youth. Luckily I discovered rational thinking and reversed the damage.

Earth: The Insane Asylum of the Universe. Nowhere else could things be more messed up.
Does a culture based on separation and competition, of scientific sophistication and mideval religion, offer happiness even as it ravishes the Earth that sustains it?

Haribol spirit soul,
The picture in OP is from the Bhagavad Gita As It Is which is my scripture of choice. I even lived in a Hare Krishna temple for a small time.
I do indeed believe in reincarnation of the soul.

Even if you are not a religious fellow incarnation is not hard to accept.
On a scientific level, every atom from our bodies has been forged inside of a star! We'll all die, we'll all return to the earth and those atoms eventually might find their way back into a living being sooner or later.

"Socialism never took root in America because the poor see themselves not as an exploited proletariat but as temporarily embarrassed millionaires."
- John Steinbeck

Teddy is very knowledgeable about this with his regression therapy experience. And he is correct on the church removing all references in the 4th Century...it's very well documented.

If that is the case, they may have missed this one...some interpret the following passage from Matthew chapter 17 to mean that Jesus was saying John the Baptist was the reincarnation of Elijah:

10 And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”

11 Jesus answered and said to them, “Indeed, Elijah is coming first and will restore all things. 12 But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished. Likewise the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands.” 13 Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist.

No proof of that, or of any kind of afterlife with a heaven or hell.
These are devices invented to allay mankind's fear of death.

"Proof" is a difficult concept. But there is definitely evidence...in many cases very compelling evidence...of many things that we tend to label as paranormal or supernatural. IMO, these are just terms we apply to things we don't understand.

There is much evidence, both scientific and anecdotal, that consciousness is "non-local", as defined by quantum physics. This opens up many possibilities. The Michelson-Morley Experiment in 1887 supposedly disproved the existence of the "aether", but there is a very compelling case to be made that the experiment was flawed. It's way too much to get into here, but for anyone who is interested just do a search, you'll find no lack of data.

Bottom line for me is this: I believe that matter is an artifact of consciousness, not the other way around.

Before this thread gets shut down, we can go back and forth with biased opinions from our initial indoctrination forever. But it might be the time to agree on not using the Bible in our discussion, as it is by far the most repulsive book ever to be used on the Sheeple (Psalm137. 9) and using it for irrational excuses to defend slavery,mysogyny, and the killing of over a million people is where this is heading. Billions of people are delusional, incapable of rational thing, and believe everything they read. So our challenge here is to try and keep religion out of the original topic. I think it's impossible.

You won't need the flame suit for me Hobie. I figure with all the different explanations for what happens after death, either one explanation is right, or they are all wrong. People will aways come up with an explanation for what they don't understand.

Before this thread gets shut down, we can go back and forth with biased opinions from our initial indoctrination forever. But it might be the time to agree on not using the Bible in our discussion, as it is by far the most repulsive book ever to be used on the Sheeple (Psalm137. 9) and using it for irrational excuses to defend slavery,mysogyny, and the killing of over a million people is where this is heading. Billions of people are delusional, incapable of rational thing, and believe everything they read. So our challenge here is to try and keep religion out of the original topic. I think it's impossible.

I agree with you 100% about the Bible. However, past life regression, no way. All research points to the fact that people are just essentially making it up in their heads along with verbal cues from the hypnotist. Read studies done by actual scientists, not metaphysical new age woo-meisters and you can clearly see what is happening during these past life regress hypnosis sessions.

I just found out about past life regression therapy two years ago and have read many books on it...before that I dismissed it due to my religious brainwashing I received as a youth. Luckily I discovered rational thinking and reversed the damage.

Billions of people are delusional, incapable of rational thing, and believe everything they read.

Before this thread gets shut down, we can go back and forth with biased opinions from our initial indoctrination forever. But it might be the time to agree on not using the Bible in our discussion, as it is by far the most repulsive book ever to be used on the Sheeple (Psalm137. 9) and using it for irrational excuses to defend slavery,mysogyny, and the killing of over a million people is where this is heading. Billions of people are delusional, incapable of rational thing, and believe everything they read. So our challenge here is to try and keep religion out of the original topic. I think it's impossible. [:puffy:]

Wow! I guess you have revealed yourself at last. You have used a thread on reincarnation to attack Christians and the Bible.
If you reread this thread you will note I did not enter this conversation until Teddy made an unsubstantiated attack on the validity of the Bible. Just what is your point and why all the hostility and name calling? And... what does this thread have to do with pipe smoking?

I agree with you 100% about the Bible. However, past life regression, no way. All research points to the fact that people are just essentially making it up in their heads along with verbal cues from the hypnotist Read studies done by actual scientists, not metaphysical new age woo-meisters and you can clearly see what is happening during these past life regress hypnosis sessions.

I cannot see, feel, touch, smell, or taste your or Hobie's brain so according to the established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science states that you have no brain, with all due respect, sir. If science says you have no brain, how can we trust your opinion?

I cannot see, feel, touch, smell, or taste your or Hobie's brain so according to the established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science states that you have no brain, with all due respect, sir. If science says you have no brain, how can we trust your opinion?

Then you should take that up with Hobie. I didn't attack any holy book, just merely agreed with him. At the same time I'm not sure what that has to do with your complete ignorance of science and the scientific method...but whatever...